Cross-wind undercarriage



July 24, 1951 R. w. BROWN CROSS-WIND UNDERCARRIAGE Filed June 29, 1948 www fw MII" ATTol Ys.

Patented `uly 24, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CROSS-WIND UNDERCARRIAGE Roy W. Brown, Akron, Ohio, assigner, by 'mes'ne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Civil Aeronautics Administration, Department of Commerce Applieation June 29, 19.48, yserial No. 35,781

4 Claims. (Cl. 244-103) has .not .beenaccepted in .the past 4due to certain..

limitations of an engineering nature. 4When .landing in a direction other than with the wind,

fan aircraft undercarria'ge of the cross-wind type lvL be adapted to permit the aircraft to move vorl'lthe groundin various-angles. in respect-to the klongitudinal axis of the airplane. In other jwords, van airplane .may land in a cross wind with the longitudinal iaxisthereof at various 4angles in respect to the line of forward movement of 'the plane of the airplane at the instant of `contact with the ground.v It is therefore ob- 'Ivious 'that at lthis moment the undercar'riage A'wheels must .either be properly aligned vin respect to the direction :of forward motion, or they must "be capable of automatic and substantially .immediate alignment therewith. l

lThe Vgeneral `object of the present'invention .is to Iprovide a novel, improved aircraft undercarriage especially adapted automatically to adjust itselfto cross-wind landing conditions.

i Another object ofthe invention is to provide an adjustable support of sturdy design, permitting'rotationalmovement between supported and supporting members.

v.seajsed v`on'the upper anged end of member I9 Another object of the invention is to provide v to improve and simplify Athe design ofcross-'wind o I `type fundercarriage.

VIn'the -drawings: j ,'Fig, 1 'is Yan elevational view of `an aircraft j lundercarriage having the 'principles of the presentinvention embodied therein. j Fig. 2pillustrates in 'vertical axial section the "inner Acon'structionof the support elements `vof the device of Fig. 1. f'

vl3g53 vis afhorizontal section along line 3-3 of Fig. 2. 4 e f Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail taken "along line '4 4 offFig. 3. I v

As best shown in Figs. 1' and 2, an aircraft undercarriage, .igenericallyA Adesignated IU, includes an elongated .cylindrical member II padaptedto be suitably xed to the aircraft struccircles iian'gefII,v .associated bearing "member I9 .to retain the elements in assembly. The te'lescoped portions of members 'II and"|3 'f'therewith l Tor'sion unit "2S is assembled in a 4manner to "permit each of the elastomerrings 35 and 36 to foperateindependently in*` resiliently opposing rovcarries ka unit I which in' turn provides a pivotal .support kfor a fork arm assembly comprisinga pair of radius arms I5 between which a suitable landing wheel I'B is mounted atthe lower end thereof. Apro'tective closure member I9 dev'pendsnfrom a friction'assembly, at the lower end y.of-.member II to engage unit Ill.

To provide meanslfor vertical load-transmittal l.between the support member II and the sup- .ported ymember I3, a flange I'I `is formed on 'the lowerl end of the supported member- I'I and is v adapted to .transmit load to the supported meml ber I'3 while permitting rotational movement between members lIand I3. The load transmit- ,ting Ymeans `may comprise a thrust/bearing I'8 which'is welded or otherwise secured to member I3. A split type yretaining clamp 2l en- I8, and

are" retained in alignment by meansv of annular bushings 22' and 23"therebetween, the bushings "beingconstrained against axial displacement-,by

engagement with r'ib"s "2-lv and v25 Vformed in the supported member II.

torsional unit 26 is employed to .interconf nectmernbers `I`I and VI3 in a manner to permit relative arcuate movement therebetween under 3ov y 4 fandto return the members to a predetermined normal no-load position when distorting 'forces stress ibut to .'resist such movement resiliently on theundercarriage Il) are removed; 'Torsion .unitjZB is supported at the upper end thereof "by aicup '21 securedlltomember "II by jr'ive'ts'28. A "Cup :2'Iv..l1s'is an aperture'd boss '29 with splines3l '34 for engagement vwith Usplines'3'l of boss 29.

Apair of 'elastomer rings 35 and`36 are positioned f"on tubular :member 32 in bonded engagement tation between 'members II and I3. `E l'astomer unit `35 is maintained inl fixed relation in 4respect -..Al..companion ring" 45a is. provided with .di-

fametrically disposedflugs 53 and 54,' ringa beinglnkewis'e bonded te tneiupper disnea S'urface of velastomer 'ring 36 with which itis' com'- .pleinentariiy VengagedLas shewnin' Fig. 2'. yThe upper end of member VI3 isprovded `with 'cir- 'umfer'entially spaced slots 41 for the reception of radially extending lugs 46, carried by spider 45, a pair of radially inwardly directed lugs 48 being also formed integrally with spider 45 in diametric alignment with lugs 46, with spider 45 floatably positioned between rings 45a and 55.

Referring to Fig. 3, it is seen that with the undercarriage assembly in a normal and unstressed condition, paired lugs 50, and 53, 54 engage both the inwardly directed lugs 48 of spider 45 and the outwardly directed lugs 43, 44 of member 32, with maximum circumferential distance existing between lugs 5D and 54 and 5I and 53. Upon being subjected to displacing stresses, wheel I6 exerts rotational forces on member I3 which are transmitted through spider 45 and either pair of lugs 50, 5I or 53, 54, to one of the elastomer elements 35, 36, causing a windup of that member with the member torsionally resisting such movement. For example, if a wheel-transmitted stress causes displacement of spider 45 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, it is apparent that only diametrically opposed lugs 53 and 54 will be displaced as the result of the rotation of spider 45 in respect to hub element 32, xed to member I I. Such rotational displacement results in a winding up, under torsional stresses, of elastomer unit 36. It is, of course, obvious that rotational movement of spider 45 in the opposite direction will result in a like winding up of elastomer unit 35 with resistance by that unit to the torsional stresses imparted thereto. Upon release of stresses which cause a wind-up of either elastomer member, the stored energy within that member returns member I3 to its normal position, or at least substantially aids in so doing, the caster action of wheel I5 being effective to maintain normal alignment upon the release of torsional stresses. Because the torsional unit 26 functions solely to oppose relative rotation between undercarriage units Il and I3, and does not absorb the compressive loads transmitted between members I3 and II during landing, the unit 26 need not be of extremely sturdy construction to assure continued safe and positive operation.

The unit as described above may easily be adjusted to present, Within reasonable wide ranges, any desired degree of torsional resistance to lateral displacement in either direction. To make such adjustment it is merely necessary, upon assembly of the unit, tointroduce a desired degree of pre-Wind in each of the elastomer members 35 and 36. This is done by maintaining the diametrically opposed lugs 50, 5I and 53, 54, carried by each elastomer ring as an integral axial extension of the metallic rings bonded thereto, in abutment with the radially inwardly directed lugs 48, and rotating the cup units 37 and 38 respectively, a desired amount prior to slipping said cups under the splined ends of hub unit 32.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination comprising a pair of resilient elements centrally apertured and provided at one end thereof with diametrically disposed and axially extending lugs, and a tubular member extending through said element apertures with the lug carrying ends of said elements in abutment with the lugs thereof axially overlapped.

2. In an aircraft undercarriage, a support member, a supported member in telescoped association withV said support member, and a resilient connecting member securing said support and supported members together but permitting lrelative arcuate movement therebetween, said connecting member comprising a tubular member having a pair of diametrically opposed lugs formed on its periphery, said tubular member being secured to said supported member, a pair of elastomer rings telescoped over said tubular member, a metal plate secured to the axially outer faces of each of said rings, means for securing said plates to said supported member, a metal disc secured to the adjacent faces of each of said rings and provided with a pair of substantially diametrically spaced lugs extending axially therefrom, adapted to be positioned immediately adjacent said lugs on said tubular member, and a ring associated with said supported member and provided with a pair of diametrically opposed lugs adapted to be positioned between said lugs on said discs whereby relative movement between said support and supported members occasions torsional movement of said rings.

3. In an undercarriage, a supported member, a support member, means for transmitting load from said supported member to said support member while permitting relative arcuate movement therebetween, a member provided with a pair of diametrically opposed lugs for locking engagement with said supported member, a' second member having a pair of diametrically opposed lugs formed thereon and secured to said support member with the lugs of said members disposed in a common plane, torsion rings secured to said supported member, and plate-like metal members secured to said torsional rings, Vsaid metal members having axially offset lugs formed thereon for association with the lugs on said first named members. l

4. A landing gear having in combination, a cylindrical supporting member, a second cylinder of reduced vdiameter telescopically associated therewith, anelongated member completely disposed within said rst cylinder and partially disposed within said second cylinder, said elongated member being provided with a multiply apertured element extending radially from the axis thereof and providing means for locking said elongated member to said second cylinder in concentric relatibn thereto, a pair of centrally apertured resilient elements mounted in juxtaposition on said elongated member at opposite sides of said radially extending element, a pair of apertured plates disposed adjacent outer end surfaces of said resilient element in bonded engagement therewith and xed to said elongated member to prevent rotation therebetween, and lug means carried by said resilient elements to extend axially from the inner end surfaces thereof, and into apertures of said'V multiply apertured member whereby to provide means for restricting relative rotation between the lug carrying ends of said resilient element and said radially extending element. Y v

ROY W. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS 789,814 France "7-"- Aug. 26, 1935 

